Extra in a Romance Fantasy - Chapter 136
136 – Legend (5)
“Tu-Gwi…”
“Why are you here…?”
The sudden appearance of Ethan left the Silver Knight and Bloodfire no choice but to be flustered.
He was someone they had never expected to see.
Receiving their bewildered looks, Ethan responded with a nonchalant expression.
“Oh, I just happened to pass by and heard rumors about a grave. So I thought I’d check if it was true, and if it was, I wanted to see what the Hero’s Sword really looked like. I should have arrived a bit earlier, but I got lost in the forest, which made me late.”
“…You got lost? Was there some kind of accident? If you had hired mercenaries, that sort of thing shouldn’t happen…”
“Oh, mercenaries? I heard it’s good to hire them, but most of the capable ones are said to be unavailable, so it was hard to find anyone, and I just came on my own.”
“……”
“……”
At Ethan’s response, the Silver Knight and Bloodfire wore expressions of disbelief.
Entering the forest without mercenaries or any guides is common sense; it’s a suicidal act.
Of course, considering Ethan’s strength, it could be said that he was virtually safe from danger, but finding a way through the forest was an entirely different matter.
For someone unfamiliar with the woods, this forest was almost guaranteed to be a place where one would get lost and wander aimlessly.
If one were not careful, they could end up trapped here for years, lost in its depths.
Knowing this, the Silver Knight and Blood Flower had deliberately hired mercenaries.
Yet, the man before them claimed to have entered the forest alone.
That was a reckless act that should be considered a stroke of luck if it ended with merely getting a bit lost.
“Anyway, after finally arriving at the grave, I found that everyone had already gone inside. So, I hurried in and ran here…”
Ethan squinted as he surveyed his surroundings.
His vision was filled with slimy monsters, the people fighting against them, and the battered Silver Knight and Blood Flower, not to mention the overwhelming presence of the creature, Armianon.
“What a mess.”
Ethan’s impression of the chaotic scene was just that.
“Well, at least I can see what the main problem is.”
Ethan looked down at his feet.
A massive dragon with black scales.
“This thing, it’s that monster from the hero’s legend. What was its name again… that…”
“…Armianon.”
“Right, Armianon.”
Ethan clapped his hands as if he had just remembered.
“I thought it was just a lookalike at first, but it seems this really is the monster from the legend.”
“…I can’t be certain.”
“What do you mean? Your face already shows you’re convinced.”
“……”
At Ethan’s words, the Silver Knight fell silent.
As he had said, deep down, he was convinced that this dragon was indeed Armianon.
“Anyway, it seems we need to stop this thing.”
“…That’s right.”
Ethan began examining Armianon’s head, specifically the places where his attacks had landed.
“This thing is incredibly tough, isn’t it?”
—
Despite the fact that a shock strong enough to make his head spin had clearly been delivered, the place where the attack landed only resulted in a scratch on the scales.
While the severity had increased compared to the previous attacks from the Silver Knight and Bloodfire, it remained merely a scratch.
“I put some sincerity into that attack, you know.”
Ethan stroked his chin as he observed the mark.
“…Well, I guess we’ll find out if we just keep hitting it.”
As if the very act of deep contemplation was a waste of time, Ethan set aside his thoughts and lifted his sword.
“Oh, right.”
Then, as if something had come to mind, he turned his head toward the Silver Knight and Bloodfire.
“Why don’t you two just step back?”
“…What did you say?”
At his sudden remark, the Silver Knight and Bloodfire stiffened, but Ethan continued without a hint of concern.
“You know it won’t do you much good in that condition.”
““…….””
Their expressions hardened even further, but they couldn’t refute him.
It was something they couldn’t possibly be unaware of.
That their bodies were in shambles.
That they would be of no help in a fight against this colossal monster.
Yet, the reason they couldn’t step back immediately was due to a shred of pride and worry.
“…Are you going to be okay?”
“…It’ll be tough alone.”
This dragon, Armiannon, was a monster far beyond any standard.
Even if he was the Master of the Ten Blades, and even if Ethan could exert his full power, the thought that he could handle it alone simply didn’t cross his mind.
The worried gazes of the two.
“Don’t worry about it. Just leave it to me for now.”
Ethan dismissed their concerns with a faint smile.
“…Understood.”
In the end, the Silver Knight and Bloodfire had no choice but to accept Ethan’s proposal.
“…We’ll leave it to you.”
With their eyes still filled with worry and unease, the Silver Knight and Bloodfire stepped away from Armiannon’s head.
“Now, then…”
—
—
Left alone like that, Ethan tightened his grip on the sword in his hand.
“Shall we see if you can truly strike with all your might?”
At that moment, Ethan’s aura shifted.
His expression remained unchanged, but a storm of magical energy began to swirl around him.
Crackle—
Whether it was the oppressive magic that instilled a sense of crisis, or simply a desire to rid himself of an annoying pest, black lightning sparked once more.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
However, Ethan did not give the lightning a chance to bloom.
As soon as he confirmed the spark, he brought the sword crashing down.
Boom!
With a thunderous sound, Arminanon’s head shook once again, and the ferocious black lightning that had been flicking its tongue vanished in an instant.
Yet, once again, the scales remained intact.
“Alright, let’s see who comes out on top.”
One might have been overwhelmed by the sight, but Ethan only smiled, channeling even more magic.
And then—
Boom! Bang!
He began to swing the sword wildly at Arminanon’s head.
The deafening noise erupted in succession, covering the surroundings as if a massive explosion was about to occur.
A heartfelt barrage from a warrior who had reached the supreme realm of the Ten Swords.
An attack that could turn even a calamity-level monster into mush in an instant, one that could reshape the very terrain.
However—
“…This is absurd.”
When Ethan’s sword finally came to a halt, the damage to Arminanon was merely a few scratched scales.
Having taken such an attack head-on without any defense, nonetheless.
While it was certainly an improvement compared to the mere scratches from before, it was far from a satisfactory outcome.
“Hmm… is there no other way?”
Ethan nodded, as if lost in thought.
Crackle!
Once again, black sparks flew from Arminanon’s horn.
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—
“Another pointless act—”
Ethan, having confirmed that, swung his sword again to block the lightning.
However, this time, things did not unfold as before.
Crack!
What would normally have taken time to charge, the lightning, shot forth in an instant without any warning.
“…!”
Seeing that, Ethan instinctively moved his body.
Bang!
A bolt of lightning struck the very spot where Ethan had just been standing.
“…Indeed, it seems you’re not going to let me have my way.”
Ethan realized this as he witnessed the new form of attack.
Arminanon was clearly irritated by his presence.
And then—
Crack!
A barrage of lightning began to pour down.
Bang! Crash!
Each bolt, powerful enough to turn a mountain to dust, rained down relentlessly, targeting only one person: Ethan.
Amidst the storm of lightning, Ethan moved his body chaotically, dodging the strikes.
The option to block was never on the table.
Each individual bolt was certainly not beyond Ethan’s capacity to handle.
If he chose to block, he could do so without taking any damage.
But with this many, the situation was entirely different.
This unending barrage of lightning would quickly erode Ethan’s magical energy and resolve, accumulating damage in no time.
Knowing this, Ethan did not stop his feet.
Yet, no matter how much time passed, the rain of lightning showed no signs of letting up.
“Tch, if it’s come to this, there’s no helping it…!”
Finally, Ethan clicked his tongue and began to prepare a full-powered strike.
“It’s not ideal to use something like this in such an unstable situation…”
What surged from Ethan’s body, with a solemn expression, was not a storm of magical energy.
It was willpower.
The power that only those who have reached the exalted realm of martial artists can truly wield.
Will.
A force that transcended the laws flowed from Ethan.
In truth, he had been using this will all along.
For a martial artist who has attained the realm of will, it feels like another form of magic.
However, the will emanating from Evan now was different from anything before.
It was deeper, denser, and above all, more intense.
That pure and intense will infused itself into the sword, guided by Ethan’s intent…
And eventually became a single blade.
It was right after that when a tidal wave of magical energy settled into the sword.
As if to envelop the blade forged from will, the magic was densely compressed, creating a perfect sword edge.
Though it was merely a single sword, it was a blade of will with the power to shatter everything.
“Let’s see if you can stop this.”
Ethan, who had manifested a technique that only a minuscule few among those who had reached the exalted realm of will could achieve,
Swung the sword made of will directly toward the dragon’s head.
And then.
Whoosh—
For the first time, the dragon’s scales split apart.
However.
Ethan’s expression, having performed such a miracle, was not bright.
“…Tch.”
Instead, he merely clicked his tongue with a face that showed deep dissatisfaction.
“Is this all there is…?”
The sword of will, capable of cutting through anything, had indeed sliced through the scales of the black dragon, which seemed utterly unbreakable.
But that was where it ended.
The blade that had penetrated the scales stopped after a short distance.
It had been blocked by the dragon’s bones.
No, even if it had cleaved through the bones, it would have held little significance.
The dragon was far too massive, and with the size of a single sword, it was akin to a human being pricked by a thorn.
This was the full extent of Ethan’s power.
He could not defeat Armianon with his strength.
Yet, Ethan’s expression was not one of despair.
“Well then, it’s time for you to show yourself.”
With a hint of lingering reluctance on his face, Ethan drew his sword and turned his gaze.
There stood a man, who had appeared without notice.
A man with brown hair and a youthful face.